Resilient clasp



P 1951 w. 1.. GOODMAN, JR 2,548,781

RESILIENT CLASP Filed Jan. 51, 1947 /z %066/1/30/1/1- A I I M Maw/r Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RESILIENT CLASP William L. Goodman, Jr., Highland Park, Ill., assignor to Platt Luggage, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporationof Illinois Application January 31, 1947, Serial No. 725,539 4 Claims. (-01. 292-429) ter and various means have heretofore been utilized for clasping or securing them to other parts of the luggage, such as the jaw frames.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved resilient clasp for detachably securing a luggage partition, as to the jaw frame of the luggage.

A further object of the present invention is: to provide a new and improved resilient clasp which can be constructed easily and economically and which is readily manipulatable by the user, for the purpose of securing or releasing the partition.-

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved resilient clasp including a pair of relatively movable members urged into telescoped relation by a single spring which is held in place and guided in novel manber.

ner by cooperating portions of the two members,

and which clasp is easily secured to the partition and releasably associated with the jaw frame of the luggage.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment thereof in the course of which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a pair of clasps constructed in accordance 'with the present invention and shown yieldably securing a partition to a jaw frame of a piece of luggage;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '3 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly broken away, taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken configuration and have a generally right angle cross section. In accordance with usual practice, it is also covered with a leather covering 12 to which the leather compartment defining portion [4 is stitched, as best illustrated in Fig. 2. The luggage includes alsoa partition [6 which is somewhat flexible in construction and which may be made of thin cardboard covered with a fabric and provided with a binding [8 around its periphery.

In accordance with the present invention, the partition I6 is adapted yieldably and releasably tobe secured to the jaw frame by a pair of novel and easily manipulatable clasps. These clasps are of identical construction and, therefore, only the one at the left, which is indicated generally by the reference character 20, will be described in detail, although like reference numerals will be applied to the other clasp.

The clasp 20 includes a pair of relatively movable members of which the outer one, which is indicated by the reference character '22, will be called a casing member and of which the inner one, which is indicated by the reference character 24, will be called an attaching means or mem- The innerattaching member is adapted to telescope into the outer casing member and the two members are urged into this telescoped condition by suitable resilient means such as the single spring 26 which is mounted and guided within the inner attaching member in a novel manner to be described shortly.

The inner attaching member is preferably at tached to the partition near the upper end of the latter. It is preferred also that the attachment be by meansof a leather strap 28 having a relatively long portion 30'stitched'to the partition and narrower portion 32 looped through a slot 34 in the attaching member.

The slot 34 is preferably formed in a projecting and movement limiting enlarged portion 36 of the inner attaching member which is preferably generally trapezoidal in shape and forms an integral portion of the inner member. Itforms an extension of a generally rectangular fiat portion 38 slidably disposed within the casing member and which has a flange 40 at the end opposite the portion 36. The flange is dimensioned relatively closely to fit within the interior of the outer casing so that it may act as a guide. Additional guiding is provided by a flange 42 formed integral with the front wall 44 of the outer casing and which extends toward the portion 38 of the attaching member. The arrangehaving a hook at its upper end. This hook.

is insertable into and held by a latch plate .52

having an aperture 54 and is secured to the bag frame jaw in suitable manner, as :by a ltivet :56.

The spring 26 is mounted Withinthe 'claspand r guided in a simple and novel manner. The opposite ends of the spring abutagainst the flanges 40 and 42 on the inner and outer members, as best illustrated in Fig. 4. The end of the spring adjacent the flange 40 is guided by a pair of ispacedaapart flanges 6,0 punched out of 'the'por- 11101138 oi the at.tachin zmeans. The end of the spring adjacent the flange 142 is secured by a tongue 62 punched .out of the flange and extending axially of thespring.

From the foregoing detaileddescription of the present invention,:i,t may be notedthatthe parti- :tionis easily releasablysecured. Theouter casing ;of the clasp can be grasped between the thumb and forefinger so that it can ,be anoved i against the force :exerted :by spring 25, thereby to move the hook 59 :into alignment with the aperture in the:latc,h plate 52, either forthe purpose of securing or releasing the partition. The clasp is neatiin appearance is self-adjusting, and is not likely to get out of order. Furthermore, the clasp itself .is of a simple and novel construction and .can :be made and assembled economically;

lt'shouldibe understood that while-buta single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail that thesedetails are not intended to be limitative :of the invention except in 'so far as set forth'in the ,accompanying claims.

What I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent'of the "United States is:

l. A clasp including an. outer casing member having fastening means projecting 'from one end, a flange at the other end .of said member extending from one side wall toward the other side wall a distance such as to leave a narrow slot adjacent the other .wall, attaching-means slidably and telescopingly mounted'within said.cas.- ing and having aiportion projecting outside said casing through said slot, said attaching, means wall a distance such as to leave a narrow slot adjacent the other wall, attaching means slidably and telescopingly mounted within said casing and having a portion projecting outside said casing through said slot, said attaching means having a flange at its housed end confronting the flange on said casing and abutting the interior of the-casing, and spring means confined between saidflanges for urging said casing member and attaching means into telescoped position.

3. A clasp including an outer casing member having fastening means projecting from one end, a flange at the other end of said member extending from oneiside wall toward the other side -wall a distance'such as to leave a narrow slot adjacentthe other wall, attaching means slidab1y and ,telescopingly mounted within said casing and having a portion projecting outside said casing through said slot, said attaching means having a flange at its housed end confronting the flange .on said ,casing .and abutting the interior of the casing, and spring means .confined be.- tween said flanges for urgingsaid casing member and attaching means into telescoped :posiitiOn, said projecting portion of the attaching means being enlarged to abut against said casing member and thus tolimit the movement-of i mounted within said outer member and-having a portion atone end projecting outside said outer member through said slot, said inner member having arflange at itsother end abutting saidone wall or" said outer member, and spring means confined between said flanges for urgingasaid inner and outer members into telescoped posithan, one of said flanges having a tongue-like projection entering one end of said spring and one of saidmembers having a pairof flangesexrtending longitudinally of and at least partly embracing said spring.

WILLIAM 'L. GOODMAN, JR.

REFERENCES crrED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

, UNITED -s irEs .PATENTS Number 

